Special Prep: Next session will involve a narrative deep-dive. You will be assigned temporary NPC roles to play out a specific memory.
Last we left off…
The journey to Gelnara was fraught with strange weather and quiet revelations. As the miles passed, secrets began to spill. Greeble resisted a mental assault to reveal his true name—Gabriel Marshand, a gnome trapped by a Fae contract. Seeking shelter from an unnatural, heavy rain, Gabriel summoned a magical hotspring, providing the party a rare moment of warmth and respite against the bleeding sky. However, the peace was guarded; Gabriel noticed strange, pulsing fauna—plant life native to Velshadrel—encroaching on the material world, while Corynn tracked the rhythmic, mathematical timing of the thunder, surmising a connection to the distant disturbances but acknowledging that the true answers lay ahead in the capital.
In a moment of shared ingenuity, Corynn and Viola successfully forged a Royal Charter to bypass the capital's impending lockdown. But the victory was cut short when the party discovered a broken carriage on the road containing faceless bodies and a silver coin stamped with a broken chain. Viola spoke the name to the party: "The Circle."
The storm encountered on the road was not natural. Corynn detected a mathematical rhythm in the thunder (matching the "Manifests" from Verrinthar), and Greeble discovered Velshadrel flora (purple, pulsing vines) growing through the floorboards. The land of Cyorion is physically reacting to the war.
The Lockdown: Gelnara is effectively sealed. A massive blockade prevents entry, and the guards are using magical detection methods (Mirrors) to screen entrants.
The Royal Charter: Thanks to a stroke of brilliance (and a Natural 20), Viola and Corynn created a flawless Forged Royal Charter of Commerce. This document constitutes your primary "key" to getting the wagon through the gates.
Greeble (Changed): Revealed to be Gabriel Marshand, a Gnome transformed into a Leshy by a Fae entity due to an ancestral contract. He resisted an attempt to modify his memory during the journey.
Viola (Changed): Confirmed to be Canvyss, a Doppelganger. Flashbacks revealed her past life as a spy and assassin for "The Circle," as well as her connections to a husband and brother from her previous existence.
Forged Royal Charter of Commerce: A masterwork forgery that grants rights of trade and travel (Critical Success).
Narrative (The Big Question): Your characters now know (or suspect) the true natures of Greeble and Viola. How does this change the way you trust them? Be ready to roleplay this tension at the gates.
Mechanical: Ensure you have your "Bluff" or "Deception" modifiers calculated and ready. The encounter at the gate will likely be a high-stakes social challenge.